Coupling operating mechanism



E GEQRGE,1R. COUPLING OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION HLEDJJCT. 18, 1920.

2. e n 91 M/ 1T 0, a I, Wm

m'fness E. GEORGE, JR. COUPLING OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 18, 1920.

Z 92 n 0 3 w 7 m aE MM n 6 T m wt a i a v P, J w .6 6 a {g L w aa w v C E 2 w w 5 ma q w m W a m v PENNSYLVANIA.

COUPLING: orEaArINeMnoHAnisi/n Specification of Letters Patent, i

Application filed October s, 1 20 seriarivo. 417,799;-

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, ENocHGEoReE, Jr., a

. citizen, of the United States, residing, at

Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have inventedcertain new and useful. Improvements in Coupling Operating Mechanism; and'I dohereby de clare the followingtobe a it'ulhclear, and

exact description of the invention, such as. will enable others skilled in the art to which:

it appertains to make anduse the same My invention relates to coupler operating 1 4 mechanism whereby the trainman while standing in a safe place may readily shiftthe car coupler laterallyto any position required to permit it to couple with the coupler of an adjacent car. 3 The mechanismfior efi'ecting' this purpose is preferably also designed to be capable of actuating'the coupler locking mechanism to cause it to a ssume an unlocked position. a I

Generally stated, theprincipal features of the invention involve. the provision of alever device forminga part both of the means for shifting the coupler laterally and of the means for actuating the coupler locking mechanism, the car being provided with fut crum means affording a plurality of fulcrumpoints with which the lever device may selectively engage, and the fulcrum. means and lever device normally occupying an operative relation permitting immediate A lateral shifting of the coupler and the instant op'er-T ation oi its locking mechanisnn In the drawin s chosen forthe ur Jose of illustrating the invention, the scope whercof is pointed out in the cla1ms,-- I

Figure 3 is a detail side elevation of the coupler operating;mechanism-J 1 Figure lisadetail view, partlyin'frout .elevation'and partly in vertical section, of

the coupler operating mechanism.

Figure 5 rise 'detai'l viewr in front; eleva position.

. tion illustrating the relation of the vparts when the coupler operating mechanism is employed for shifting the coupler laterally, and showing in. dotted lines the: relation of the parts when the. lever device has beentransferred to a new iulcrumpoint in order Y to facilitate shifting of the coupler to itsieX-f treme position of lateral displacement.

.F1gure Fig. t.

v In the drawings, 1 indicates the coupler,'i I which, as usual, isv provided: witha pivoted knuckle and suitable lockingmechanism ifor f ENOCI-I GEORGE, an, onrrrcrsiaunen, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR-TQ-THE Mc'coNwAY & TORLEY' COMPANY, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, e conro-aairroiv on 6 is a detail section on the line normally retaining..'the l'rriuckle' in coupled position. The form of couplenwwhichhas been chosen for purposesiof illustrationj merely, is well known andtis designed to be mounted upon'a railway car so as:to'beca-: E pable of extended lateral swingingmove-" ments to either'side ofitsnorma ltor central:-

The locking. mechanism .of thecoupler is caused to assume anunlockedpo}: sitionfby the operation "of a pivoted {lock lifter 2 whose outer end is pivotally secured." l to a-link-3 that extends into the couplerhead and is operatively connected tothe-rcouplcr lock. At its rear end the lifter 2 is "provided with oppositely disposedhorizontal trun-- nions twhich are journale'd in upwardly openingbearings formedinya bracket 5 rigs idly attached to: the under side ofthe z'coue pler. Belowthe trunnions l the lock lifter 2 is'fashioned withan=opening or recess .6 in-. r to which the upwardly extending endstof-I rotatable operating rods,7 eXtend.. These deg tails of constructionare-well known to those skilled in the art; Figure 1 1s a front elevation ofa laterally movable carcoupler and coupler operating Each ofthe rods-7 is connectedat its outer end to a leverdevice. by means of which 'the' trainma-n may causeflthe rod either to rotate toefiect'an unlock-ingot the coupler or to be shifted bodily-transversely of the car so asment of the-coupler, Asbothl'of; the lever one of saidde vices; hasvbeenillustrated -in the drawings; and-it willbe; apparentthat a I 2 single: unit consistinggot one rod 7 andits associated lever devicemay be employed if desired. Upon rotatinglreither of the rods 7 in the-properdirectionzthapivotedlocklifter 95 toicause a zco'rrespondingl lateral Ydisplaeefv .Zwill swing upwardly and causethe link 3, which is connected to the coupler lock to move the latter to unlocked position. lVhere' the coupler is equippedwith knuckle opening mechanism an extended unlocking'rotation of the rod 7 and the lifter 2 will cause the knuckle of the coupler to be'thrown to open position. Upon a bodily lateral shifting of the lever member and through the eye 9, preerably being employed for securely pivoting the rod 7 to the lever device.

The lever device. comprises two pivotally connected members the lowerone, 8, being formed as a handle which the trainman may grasp, and the upper member 12 'beingpivot ally suspended from a bracket 13 by means of a pivot bolt 14. The member 12 of the lever device is preferably provided at its lower end with perforated arms or jaws 15 between which the upper end of the handle member 8 projects and which serve to cause both the parts 8 and 12 of the lever device to function as a rigidunit when 'tulcruming upon the bracket 13 in the operation of shifting the coupler laterally. A pivot bolt 16 which passes through the jaws 15 and through the upper end of the handle member 8 serves to connect these parts in a manner permitting the handle portion of the lever device to be rotated independently'ot the member 12. The upper end of the member 2 is preferably provided with a pair of spaced arms 17 which embrace the lower portion of the bracket 13 andthrough which the pivot bolt 14 passes. By this meausthe upper member of the lever device is prevented "from rotating longitudinally otthe car when the handle member 8 is actuated in the operation of unlocking the coupler.

' -The bracket 13 which may conveniently be seciiu-cd to the car by means of bolts 18, is

7 preferably formed with a transversely ex tendingrack'rportion 19 which affords a plurality of "fulcrum points with which the pivot bolt lent the lever device may selectively engage. In the form of bracket shown in the drawin s the rack oortion19 is provided with upwardly extending spaced teeth or projections 20 which, together with the side bars 21 of the bracket, afford three recesses 22 in any one of which the pivot bolt 14 is adapted tobe entered. The side bars 13 of thebrac'ket space the rack bar 19 away from Each rod 7 is movably attachedat its outer the plate 23 through which the bolts 8 pass a sufiicient distance to allow thelever device to be raised so that its pivot bolt 1 1 may be transferred from one to another of the recesses 22.

if desired the rear upper corner ofthe handle member .S'may be made square or angular so that by the engagement of the flattened portion of the upper end of said handle member with'the portion 25 of the lever member 12any sul'istanti'al rearward swinging of the handle upon the pivot. bolt 16 is prevented when the train is in motion.v

1 laterallythe train- This causes the pulling orpushing it lever device to. rotate as a unit about the* Y pivot bolt 1e and to cause a bodily movement o1 the connected rod 7 in a direction transversely of the car. It, owing to the angular position assumed by the lever device, the coupler 1 cannot readily be shifted the entire distance bya single pull upon the lever device, the latter is actuatedto vmove the coupler for a portion of the distance and then is manipulated to transfer its pivot bolt '14 to another recess 22 enabling the trainman more favorably to apply power to the coupler. Such a transfer of the lever device to a new fulcruming point is illustrated. in

dotted lines in Fig. 5.

\Vhen it desired to unlock the coupler in any positionit may occupy it is only necessary for the trainman to grasp the handle member 8 and pull its lowerfend toward the outer end of the 'car. This causes the handle member to rotate upon the pivot'bolt 16' and eiiect a corresponding rotation of the associated rod 7, thereby swinging the lock lifter coupler.

Iclaim:-.-

- 1. In mechanism-oi the character indicated, the combination with a laterally movable 2 upwardly and eltecting an unlocking of the car coupler, of means for-shifting sa-idcou" pler laterally, said means involving a l'eve'r device, means operatively' connecting said lever device and coupler, and a fulcrum for said lever device rigidly mounted on the car, said fulcrum affording a plurality of fulcrum points with any of which saidlever device may selectively engage to shift said coupler laterally meither ClIIGGt1OI1,aIId-Sa1d lever device and fulcrum normally being in interengagingrelation for effecting lateral shifting of said coupler.

2. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a laterally movable car coupler, of means for shifting said coupler laterally, said means involving a lever device and fulcrum means affording. a

plurality of fulcrum points with any of which said lever device is adapted selectively to engage to shift said coupler laterally in either direction, said lever device normally being in fulcruming relation with one of said fulcrum points to enable lateralv shifting of said coupler by said lever.

3. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a laterally movable car coupler and its locking mechanism, of a lever device, means for operatively connecting said lever device and coupler, and fulcrum means affording a plurality of fulcrum points with any of which said lever is adapted selectively to engage to shift said coupler laterally in either direction, said lever device through its said operative connection with the coupler being adapted to shift said coupler laterally and to unlock said coupler, and being normally in operative position both for effecting the lateral shifting of said coupler and for unlocking the a. In' mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a laterally movable car coupler and its locking mechanism,

of means for shifting said coupler laterally, said means involving a lever device comprising a plurality of movably connected members, a rod operatively connected to one of the members of said lever device and to said coupler and adapted to actuate the locking mechanism of said coupler, and fulcrum means adapted to be rigidly attached to a car and serving tosupport said lever device, said fulcrum means affording said coupler.

ing meansfor said lever deviceadapted to' be rigidly attached to the car upon which. said. coupler is mounted, said supporting means and lever device being adapted to rality of points and normally being in operative relation for effecting lateral shifting of- 6. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a laterally movablecoupler andits locking mechanism,of means for shifting said coupler laterally, means for actuating said coupler locking mechanism, the said means for shifting said coupler and for actuating its locking mechv have selective pivotal engagement at a pluanism involving in common a lever device,

and a bracket affording a plurality of ful-. crum points with which said lever device may selectively engage, said bracket and lever device normally being in operative relation for effecting lateralshifting of said coupler.

7. In mechanism of the character indi-' cated, the combination with a laterally movable coupler, of a bracket adapted to be rigidly attached to a car,-said bracket being,

provided with a plurality of recesses, a lever device pivotal'ly pp ed by said bracket. f

and adapted to have selective engagement w th said bar 1n said recesses, and means for operatively connecting said lever device and coupler, said lever device comprising a plurality of pivotally connected members one of which isadapted to be moved independ-' ently of the' other, and said lever device and bracket normally being in operative relation for effecting lateral shifting of the ,cou-

, pler.

8. In mechanism of the'character indiof means for shifting said coupler laterally, and means for actuating said coupler locking mechanism, the said means for shifting said coupler and for actuating its locking mechanism involving in common a lever device, and means for pivotally connecting said lever device to a car, said lever device com: prising a plurality of'pivotally connected members and being provided with meansv for limiting rearward rotation of one of said lever members with respect to the lever-1 member to which it is pivotally connected.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature. 1

. GEORGE, JR.

9.5 cated, the combination with a laterally movable car coupler and its locking'mechanis'm, 

